Intentional community nears completion

The Mason Street Townhomes development is a forerunner of the housing trend – an intentional community. Photo courtesy of Amber Turner

The Mason Street Townhomes development is a forerunner of the housing trend – an intentional community. Photo courtesy of Amber Turner

The Mason Street Townhomes development is a forerunner of the housing trend – an intentional community. Photo courtesy of Amber Turner

Organic. Non-GMO. Humane pet food. And now intentional communities are the wave of a green future. One is in next door neighborhood Cully.

An intentional community is a cluster of private homes, with shared interior and exterior spaces, designed to benefit groups of people of all ages. This makes it easy to form clubs, organize child and elder care, and to carpool.

Members share common amenities such as garden plots, open outdoor areas, tools, a common house for large gatherings, guest rooms and more. They work together to enhance and beautify the landscape. That also creates a sense of being part of something larger than themselves – while they also enjoy private homes to retreat to with family and friends.

Cully Grove is the most recent, full-scale intentional community built by Eli Spevak, the owner of development company Orange Splot LLC, a company named after a favorite children’s book.

Eli partnered with Mark Lakeman. Mark, the owner of Communitecture, has worked with Eli for more than a decade. He started with volunteer work at Dignity Village.

Cully Grove homes were presold to people looking for community living. Some of the residents, including Eli’s family, had previously lived at other cohousing communities.

The development sits on nearly two acres right in the heart of Cully near 42nd Avenue. It is comprised of single-family residences with a large shared garden, bike parking, tool library, interconnecting pathways, and a central grove of trees perfect for planned or spontaneous gatherings.

Eli assembled the Mason Street property in 2014 and 2015. After going through several design iterations with Communitecture, they submitted for permits in late summer 2016 and broke ground in spring 2017.

It offers opportunities for those looking to move either up, or down. “Orange Splot focuses on walkable neighborhoods, where it’s possible to get to transit, groceries, restaurants, schools and parks without always having to jump in a car,” pointed out Amber Turner, principal real estate broker.

The development is within easy walking distance of an Albertson’s grocery store, coffee shops Bison and Beeswing, the five-corner restaurants and food carts, and less than 100 feet from a bus stop. It’s also within easy walking distance of Wellington Park and Rigler and Scott elementary schools.

Tamara Anne Fowler is a copy/content editor, fiction editor and accountability coach. Visit her at EditKitten.com, email her at Tamara@editkitten.com or call 310.359.6038. She would love to hear from you.